Norwegian Government Funding for LTTE Film - My Daughter the Terrorist

Oslo, 13 April, (Asiantribune.com): The 50 minute documentary Min Datter Terroristen (my Daughter the Terrorist) attempts to glorify the motivations of two Black Tiger women. The documentary follows the training and indoctrination of Dharsika and Puhalchudar (possibly not the real names) for a suicide mission against the Sri Lankan state. The main emphasis of the documentary is to give some pseudo-justification to the act of suicide terrorism by the LTTE. Sections of the documentary are narrated by Maria (actor playing the role of Mother).

The documentary has been produced/co-directed by two Norwegian nationals Mr.Morten Daae and Ms. Beate Arnestad. Interestingly, Ms Arnestad states that she used a false name Ms Smith when she traveled to Sri Lanka to make the film. Ms. Arnestad has blatantly breached Sri Lankan immigration regulations and also media guidelines for visiting journalists as prescribed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The camera crew was led by Norwegian Frank Alvegg. The Production Company is Snitt Film Production based in Oslo , Norway .

The international rights for the documentary is managed by TV2 World ( Denmark ), Rugaardsvej 25, 5100 Odense , Denmark . As at December 2006, the broadcasting rights to the documentary have been purchased by Radio-Canada Television ( Canada ), TV2 ( Denmark ), Al-Arabia (Satellite Television covering the Middle East), NHK-BS1 ( Japan ) and TV2 ( Norway ).

Financial support for the making of the documentary was provided by two institutions, one a NGO operating in Norway named Freedom of Expression Foundation (Institusjonen Fritt Ord), Uranienborgveien 2, 0258 Oslo . According to the annual report of Freedom of Expression Foundation, financial support of one Million Norwegian Kroner (NOK 1,000,000) was provided. In addition the Norwegian Film Fund, which is a government institution enacted by the Norwegian Parliament in 2001 and functioning under the purview of the Norwegian Ministry of Culture provided 250,000 Norwegian Kroner (NOK 250,00) for the making of the documentary.

The fact that a Norwegian government institution provided funding for the production of a documentary that glorifies suicide terrorism against the State of Sri Lanka is in contempt of the friendly relations between the two countries. Furthermore Norwegian government funding was provided to a film Director that used a false identity to operate in Sri Lanka is a serious matter.